3dConnextions 3D controller (spacepilot, spaceball, etc)

VitalBodies · Post by **VitalBodies** » Mon Mar 07, 2011 7:49 am

Not trivial, to say the least....
Wow, so you got going, it works and you can use it - all is well?

I burned out the first round of trying and trying and trying (some time back).
I can only hope some of my online notes were helpful.

Thank you for taking the time to write this out also.

I can't wait to give it a try.

RoboticGolem · Post by **RoboticGolem** » Thu Apr 14, 2011 7:09 am

So this is still for the 2.4x series? Not the 2.5? I fiddled with it an still no go on 2.5x

Tehrasha · Post by **Tehrasha** » Fri Apr 15, 2011 3:30 am

The 2.49 plugin is not being ported to 2.5x

From what I have read, the code for SpaceNav support in 2.5x is essentailly done, but devs were waiting for Blender to go stable before rolling in new functionality. Its now stable, so it shouldnt be long.

*crosses fingers*

Spirmy25 · Post by **Spirmy25** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 12:33 pm

At this point I've just assumed the reason it doesnt work with 2.50 is the fact that its still alpha software. I hope I'm right because I've not found anything about ndof working (or not working) in 2.50. Question

RoboticGolem · Post by **RoboticGolem** » Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:05 pm

Spirmy25 wrote:At this point I've just assumed the reason it doesnt work with 2.50 is the fact that its still alpha software. I hope I'm right because I've not found anything about ndof working (or not working) in 2.50. Question

...But it works near flawlessly in 2.59. Been gleefully using it for a bit now. Really does make a lot of things easier and I've missed it so during the 2.5x development.

MystD · Post by **MystD** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 7:01 pm

Does the space navigator rotate the view while in grab mode or while using a sculpting brush?

Tehrasha · Post by **Tehrasha** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 12:17 am

As far as I know, it does not work while grabbing/moving/rotating.
I would think that would make things very confusing if it did.

Here is a nice video example of it being used while sculpting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIcZrxJLa4k

MystD · Post by **MystD** » Thu Oct 13, 2011 8:42 am

Well the video shows that you can sculpt while rotating the view.

Mrke · Post by **Mrke** » Tue Oct 18, 2011 1:36 pm

I would like to know where should i post feedback regarding the 3dconnexion support in blender 2.59 or later?

One of the most important things to me is... that the zoom axis needs to be inverted together with other axes when the invert axes option is checked in the popup menu! So that i can use it exactly as in Maya. (so that puling the cap toward me zooms the object closer not further as it is now).
I tried setting it in 3dxware 10 beta 11. But inverting individual axes in the 3dconnexion properties panel has no effect on blender. Does it work with older drivers?

Where can i find documentation of the Navigator support in blender?

I especially like that you can finally move the render camera in a simple and logical way.
I also like the Maya interface preset but unfortunately the navigator cap doesn't work with it. It only works when the default interface settings are loaded. Is there a way for me to use the navigator with the Maya preset?
(I like selecting with the left mouse button since i got used to it... etc)

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for all the people that worked on blender 2.5 it's really a nice upgrade and I'm considering switching from Maya to Blender

phingerz97 · Post by **phingerz97** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 5:13 am

Mrke wrote:I would like to know where should i post feedback regarding the 3dconnexion support in blender 2.59 or later?

One of the most important things to me is... that the zoom axis needs to be inverted together with other axes when the invert axes option is checked in the popup menu! So that i can use it exactly as in Maya. (so that puling the cap toward me zooms the object closer not further as it is now).
I tried setting it in 3dxware 10 beta 11. But inverting individual axes in the 3dconnexion properties panel has no effect on blender. Does it work with older drivers?

Where can i find documentation of the Navigator support in blender?

I especially like that you can finally move the render camera in a simple and logical way.
I also like the Maya interface preset but unfortunately the navigator cap doesn't work with it. It only works when the default interface settings are loaded. Is there a way for me to use the navigator with the Maya preset?
(I like selecting with the left mouse button since i got used to it... etc)

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for all the people that worked on blender 2.5 it's really a nice upgrade and I'm considering switching from Maya to Blender

yes, it is great that my Spaceball 5000 works but I have the same problem. I would like to have the ability to reverse all of my axes. My 3Dconnexion dialog has no effect and the ones in my Blender 2.60 don't seem to work either. Is there a work around??

Thanks in advance.

RoboticGolem · Post by **RoboticGolem** » Tue Jan 17, 2012 8:25 am

As far as the zoom issue, I noticed after reading this thread again, that you can reverse the zoom for the ndof items. I didmt play with it, but it seems to be what you are looking for.

Now on to reversing all of the axes. Since (in linux) you no longer need the 3dconnexion software. You could (if my memory serves) tell the spacenavd to reverse them.

Hope this helps.

phingerz97 · Post by **phingerz97** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:11 am

RoboticGolem wrote:As far as the zoom issue, I noticed after reading this thread again, that you can reverse the zoom for the ndof items. I didmt play with it, but it seems to be what you are looking for.

Now on to reversing all of the axes. Since (in linux) you no longer need the 3dconnexion software. You could (if my memory serves) tell the spacenavd to reverse them.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for answering the post. I adjusted settings in the 3DXware control panel but could not get any positive response. It appears that Blender takes control over the Spaceball and is driving it. There are a few options in the user preferences but I'm not sure they are the correct ones.

I use my Spaceball in CAD programs like UGNX and CATIA and it works one way but the default in Blender is completely opposite. The zoom is also. I pick up on the spaceball and I am used to it zooming in not out.

Also, what is "spacenavd"?

Tehrasha · Post by **Tehrasha** » Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:42 am

When Mike Erwin was writing the 3D Mouse support into Blender, he found that there were two schools of thought when using the spacemouse.

A) People who think as a mobile camera panning/zooming around fixed objects.

and

B) People who think as a fixed camera with the object itself being turned/moved.

Mike is a type A, while I and many others are type B. Thats why he included the axis inversion options that we have now. He is still refining the 3D Mouse support, and is aware of several issues and wants from the community. Axis swapping and panning without SHIFT are on his list.

phingerz97 wrote:Also, what is "spacenavd"?

http://spacenav.sourceforge.net/

Spacenavd is an opensource driver project to replace the 3DConnexion proprietary drivers. There is a Windows version, but it is a bit antiquated. Current development has been to the Linux branch.

I have been working with the Spacenav devs to help with the support of the older serial devices.

I will have to try my SB5000 when I get home from work.

phingerz97 · Post by **phingerz97** » Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:42 am

OK. Thanks for being a Type B along with me, I am not alone. So an axis inversion has been added and I thought I found it. Apparently there are some bugs and these several issues are being addressed then I'll just have to be patient.

Thanks for your help.

williambettridge · Post by **williambettridge** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:26 pm

I was introduced to the SpacePilot through my work, where we use it with Autodesk Inventor. I have since bought a SpaceNavigator for Notebooks and use it both with Inventor at home and Blender (now that that functionality exists).

One thing that I find is a little bit annoying with using the space mouse in blender is that I can not pan left to right or up and down like I can in Inventor (I am a type A, controlling the camera around the object). Its as if in blender, the focal spot of the user camera is fixed and cannot be moved except by selecting another object and manually setting that as the new focal point. In effect, this means that in blender the camera is on a turntable, while in Inventor the camera has free motion. I could see how this would not be as much of an issue if I were perhaps type B, but the many hours of flight simulators and Decent I played as a little kid have firmly cemented my brain into the type A category.

Is it possible to duplicate the free motion of the camera in blender? That would be much appreciated.

Blender.org

3dConnextions 3D controller (spacepilot, spaceball, etc)

Where should I post feedback?

Re: Where should I post feedback?